DosAnjosknocksoutHenderson

IttookRafaeldosAnjosnearlysixyearsand16fightstoheadlinehisfirstUFCcard
buthedidn'twastetheopportunitywhenhegotit.
DosAnjos(227)shockedformerlightweightchampionBenHendersoninanupset
TKOvictoryat2:31ofthefirstround.The155poundboutservedasthemaineventof
Saturday'sUFCFightNight49cardinsideBOKCenterinTulsa,Oklahoma.
RankedtheNo.10lightweightintheworldbyESPN.comheadingintothebout,dos
AnjosgottoHenderson(214)earlyonthefeetandfinishedhimwithalefthook
againstthefencemidwaythroughthefirstround.
Thefinishcameunderminorcontroversy,asHendersonwasstillconsciousatthetime
refereeJohnMcCarthycalledtheboutandjumpedtohisfeetimmediately.DosAnjos,
inapostfightinterview,saidhethoughttheformerchampwentout.
"Iknewmystrikingwasbetterthanhim,"DosAnjossaid."I'malwaystheunderdog.I
thinktonightprovedtoeveryone.Youcanseehewasout.BenHendersonwasagreat
championandIrespecthimalot,butnowit'smytime."
AlefthookoutintheopenappearedtostunHendersonapproximatelytwominutesinto
thefight.AsHendersonbackedawayfromtheshot,dosAnjosfollowedwitha
beautifullytimedflyingkneethatconnectedtoHenderson'schin.
Aformercollegiatewrestler,Hendersondroppedintoasinglelegtakedowntoslow
DosAnjos.TheBraziliandeniedtheattempt,however,andHendersonquicklygaveup
onitandmovedtostandbackonhisfeet.
AsHendersonstoodupfromthetakedown,dosAnjoslandedacleanlefthookthat
knockedhimdownalongthefence.Henderson'shandsdroppedalongwithhimanddos
Anjosfollowedwithanotherlefthandtothechin,promptingthestoppage.
"IthoughtIwasclearheaded,"saidHenderson,onthestoppage."Itiswhatitis.You
havetotaketheupswiththedownsthegoodwiththebad.That'sthewayitgoes."
It'isthefirsttimeHendersonhaseverbeenfinishedviastrikesinhisprofessionalcareer.
HecameintothecontestrankedNo.3intheworldbyESPN.com.
TrainingalongsidefamedstrikingcoachRafaelCordeiro,DosAnjos'improvementon
thefeethasbeenvisibleinhismostrecentfights.Henowhasfourknockoutwinsinhis
career,twoofwhichhavecomeinhislasttwofights.
The29yearoldhasnowwonsevenofhislasteightfights.Hisonlylossduringthat
stretchcameviaunanimousdecisiontoKhabibNurmagomedovinApril.

"I'lldomyjob,"saidDosAnjos,whenaskedwhathewantednext."WhoevertheUFC
wantsmetofight.I'mpreparedforanything."
Hendersonfallsto92overallintheUFC.HewonthelightweighttitleinFebruary
2012inaunanimousdecisionoverFrankieEdgaratUFC144.Hedefendedthebelt
threetimes,beforeforfeitingittocurrentchampionAnthonyPettislastAugust.
ThalesfinishesCarmontwithstrikes
ThetransformationofUFCmiddleweightThalesLeitescontinues.
Afterameasuredopeningframe,LeitessuprisedCarmontwithanaggressiveflurryin
thenextround.AnoverhandrightforcedCarmont(2410)toretreattothefence,
whereLeiteshurthimwitharightuppercutandlefthooktotheear.
Carmontwenttemporarilylimpfromthelefthook.Hestartedtomoveoncehehitthe
ground,butrefereeJohnMcCarthyquicklymovedin,asitwasobviousCarmontwas
done.
ThewinextendsLeites'currentwinstreaktoseven.Hehaswon10ofhislast11,dating
backtoAugust2009,whentheonetimetitlecontenderwasreleasedbytheUFC
followingasplitdecisionlosstoAlessioSakara.
"I'maJiuJitsuguyfirstandforemostbutI'mgettingveryconfidentinmyhands,"
Leitessaid."HewasblockingmytakedownsverywellsoIwenttomystrikingand
latelywhenIusemystandupgoodthingshavehappened.Ididn'tallowhimanyspace
andkeptthepressureon.WhenIsawhiseyesrollbackIkepttheshotsgoingandgot
thefinish."
Carmont,whofightsoutofTristarGyminMontreal,dictatedtherangeandpaceofthe
middleweightboutearly.HedidwellpickingoffLeites'powershotsonthefeet,and
scoredpointswithinsideandoutsidelegkicks.Hedroveindeeponatakedownattempt
afterslippingaLeiteslefthook,butcouldn'tgettheBraziliandown.
Ithasbeenadifficult2014forCarmont,whodropsto03sofarthisyear.Priortothe
knockoutloss,Carmont'sfirstsince2004,hecameupshortindecisionsagainstCB
DollawayandRonaldoSouza.